Cartons



K. ENGEL Dec. 25, 1962 CARTONS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 K. ENGEL Dec. 25, 1962 CARTONS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 Dec. 25, 1962 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 K. ENGEL CARTONS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 25, 1962 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 K. ENGEL CARTONS '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 CARTONS Filed Dec. 11, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 JM g MW 6 Dec. 25, 1962 K. ENGEL 3,0 5

CARTONS Filed Dec. 11, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent ()fiiice CARTONS Karl Engel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor, bymesne assignments, to Unipak Cartons Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V Filed Dec. 11, 1961, Ser. No; 158,417 H Cla'irn's priority, application Canada May 12,1961 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-105) This invention relates to cartons and more particularly to the type of carton having an interior assembly of mutually transverse partitions therein defining a plurality of article receiving compartmentstherein; said' assembly including an extensible handle for carrying the carton, said handle being capable of upward and downward movement with respect to the partitions.

Various proposals have been made, heretofore, for limiting the extent of movement of the handle member and it is the object of the present invention to provide novel and relatively inexpensive improved means for limiting the extent of movement of the handle member.

According to one aspect, the present invention relates to a carton of the type having a wall structure comprising side and end walls and a bottom, a top closure, and an interior assembly constituted by a unitary member secured to the wall structure, said member including a pair of spaced mutually cooperating longitudinal par-titions extending along the central longitudinal axis of the car'- ton and connected together along a common upper edge, each of said partitions being secured, at least at one end thereof, to an adjacent said end wall; a slot in said cornmon upper edge; a plurality of transverse'partitions' integral, at one end thereof, with and extending from, an associated one of said longitudinal partitions and secured, at the other end thereof, to an adjacent side wall; said partitions defining a plurality of article receiving compartments in said carton; an extensible handle member integral with and detachably secured to one of said longitudinal partitions and slidably disposed within said pair of longitudinal partitions; said handle member having a portion thereof projecting from said slot and being movable between a first retracted position in which it lies within said wall structure, and a second operative position in which said portion thereof projects above said wall structure for carrying purposes, said handle member being adapted, upon initial movement towards its second operative position, of detachment'fro'm its said associated longitudinal partition; atleas'ta pair of shoulders on the handle member adapted to cooperate with the underside of said common upper edge to limit the extent of movement of the handle member in one direction; at least a pair of said transverse partitions each having an extension-projecting therefrom, said extensions being adapted ly and hingedly connected together along a first common score line and adapted, on folding along the latter and erection of the carton, to form a pair of spaced mutually opposed longitudinal partitions eacht extending alongthe central longitudinal axisof thecarton and secured; at leastat one end thereof, to an adjacent end wall of the carton; each of: said primary panels being cut and scored to provide a plurality of secondary panels eachintegrally and'hingedly connected, at one end thereof, to'their associated primary panel and adapted to be secured, at the other end thereof, to an adjacent side wall of the carton; said'secondary panels, on erection of the carton, forming a plurality of transverse partitions; an auxiliary panel integrallyand hingedly connected to a selected saidprimary panel along a second common score line and adapted on folding along the latter,-to be secured to the remaining said primary panel whereby, on erection of saidcarton, said pair of longitudinalpartitions' are integrally connected together by a common upper, edge whichincludes said second common score line; a cut-out common to said selected primary panel and said auxiliary panel'and adapted to form a slot in said common upper edge; at least' one handle panel hingedly and detachably secured to said auxiliary panel along a common-weakened score line and provided with a pair of projecting shoul'dergsaid handlep'anel', on folding of said blank being located between said auxiliary panel and a selected one of said primary panels and having a portion thereof located within said slot; said handle panel being capable onerection of the car-ton and initial upward movement, ofbeing detache'd from" said auxiliary panel and of movement within said slot from a first retracted position'in: which said handle panel lies within the wallstructure and a second" operative positionin which said portion projects above said Wall structure for carrying purposes; said shoulders cooperating with the' underside of said com"- mon upper edge to'form first means to limit the extent of movement-ofthe' handle panel in one direction; said blank being further cut and scored to provide at least one extension' on at least one of said secondary panel's adapted, when the carton is erected" and saidhandle panel: detached from said auxiliary panel, to cooperate with said handle panel to form second means to limit the extent ofmovement: of saidhandle panel in'its other direction.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a plan view of aone-piece-blank capable of forming'the wall structure of a type of carton provided with an integral top closure;

FIGURE'Z is'aplan view of a one-piece blank adapted to form the-interior assembly of acanton including anintegral-extensible handle;

FIGURE 3 is an obverse View of'FIGU RE 2;

FIGURES 4 to 7 show various stages in the formationof the interior assembly from the one-piece blank shown l n-FIGURES 2 2l1'ld 3;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional end view o'f anerected'carton, showing the handle member'in its'lowe'rmost position;

I FIGURE 9 is a view, similar to FIGURE 8, but showing the'handle member in its fully extended positiomand FIGURE 10 is a part sectional perspective viewof the carton also showing the handle member inns-fully exten'dedposition.

Although the following description and the accom Patented Dec.. 25,

panying drawings describe and show the present invention as applied to an enclosed type of carton, i.e. a carton provided with a top closure, it will be readily apparent that it is equally applicable to an open-topped carton or carrier.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a onepiece blank adapted to form the wall structure of the carton, i.e. side and end walls and a bottom, said blank also including portions adapted to form a top closure. This blank is scored and incised to provide side wall panels 1, 2, end wall panels 3, 4, top end closure panels 5, top side closure panels 6, bottom end closure panels 7 and bottom side closure panels 8.

Each of the top side closure panels 6 may be recessed, as at 9, and a hingeable tab 10 may also be provided therein to form a finger aperture. The free end of side wall panel 2 is provided with an elongated tab 11, the obverse face (not shown) of which is coated with pressure sensitive adhesive, said tab 11 being adapted to be united with the free side of end wall panel 3 through the intermediary of a strip 12 of pressure sensitive adhesive extending throughout the depth of said end wall panel 3 adjacent to its free marginal side edge.

Each of the side Wall panels 1, 2 is provided with a strip 13, 14 respectively, of pressure sensitive adhesive, whereas the end wall panels 3, 4 are respectively provided with similar strips 15, 16 of adhesive.

FIGURE 2 is one view of a one-piece blank adapted to form the interior assembly of the carton. This blank is provided with a plurality of integrally connected panels arranged in seriatim.

A pair of first and second primary panels indicated generally at 20, 21, are integrally connected together along a first common score line 22. The first primary panel 20 is provided with an end partition tab 23 integrally and hingedly connected thereto along a common score line 24 and the second primary panel 21 is provided with an end partition tab 25 integrally and hingedly connected thereto along a common score line 26.

Each of the first and second primary panels 20, 21, is provided with a plurality of secondary panels 27, 28, said secondary panels 27 being integrally and hingedly connected, at one end thereof, to their associated primary panel along a common score line 29. Each of the secondary panels 28 is hingedly and integrally connected, at one end thereof, to its associated primary panel along a common score line 30, and is also provided with an extension 31, the purpose of which will be apparent hereinafter.

Each of the first and second primary panels 20, 21 is provided with a tertiary panel, indicated generally at 32, to which the secondary panels 27 are integrally and hingedly connected. It will be noted from FIGURE 1 that each secondary panel 28 is hingedly and integrally connected to its associated tertiary panel 32 by means of the score line 29 associated with the adjacent pair of secondary panels .27. Moreover, each pair of secondary panels 27, remote from secondary panel 28, is hingedly and integrally connected to the associated tertiary panel 32 by means of common aligned score lines 33.

The upper face, as viewed in FIGURE 2, of end partition tabs 23, 25, as well as the upper face of each tertiary panel 32, is coated with pressure sensitive adhesive.

The first primary panel 20, is integrally and hingedly connected to an auxiliary panel, indicated generally at 34, along a second common score line 35, a cut-out 36 being provided in the primary and auxiliary panels 20, 34.

A first handle panel, indicated generally at 36, is detachably secured to the auxiliary panel 34, along a common weakened score line 37, and is integrally and hingedly secured to a second handle panel 38, along a common score line 39.

Each handle panel is provided with a hingeable tab 40 adapted to form a hand carrying aperture, as well as with a pair of shoulders 41 projecting from a main body portion 42. The upper face (as viewed in FIGURE 2) of each body portion 42 of each handle panel 36, 38, is provided with a coated strip 43 of pressure sensitive adhesive. The upper face, as viewed in FIGURE 2, of the auxiliary panel 34 is also provided with a strip 44 of pressure sensitive adhesive adjacent the weakened score line 37.

As will be seen from FIGURE 3, the obverse face of the first primary panel 20 is provided with a strip 45 of pressure sensitive adhesive. The obverse face of the seccond primary panel 21 is also provided with a strip 46 of pressure sensitive adhesive, both the latter and strip 45 being located adjacent to, and either side of, the common score line 22. Moreover, the obverse face of the second primary panel 21 is provided with an additional strip 47 of pressure sensitive adhesive located adjacent the free marginal side edge of said second primary panel 21.

In forming a knock-down carton, the one-piece blank shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 is folded along the common score line 37 so that the second handle panel 38 overlies the first handle panel 36 and so that the coated strips 43 are in registry with one another, as is shown in FIG- URE 4. I

Thereafter, the combined handle panels 36, 38 are folded about the weakened score line 37 so that the score line 39 is coincident with the score line 35 connecting the auxiliary panel 34 to the first primary panel 20, this position being shown in FIGURE 5 where the blank of FIGURE 4 has been turned to show the position of the components more clearly.

The auxiliary panel 34 is then folded along the second common score line 35 so that both handle panels 36, 38 are located between the first primary panel 20 and said auxiliary panel 34, with the coated strip 44 on the latter facing upwardly as is shown in FIGURE 6.

Finally, the second primary panel 21 is folded along the first common score line 22 to bring its coated strip 46 into registry with the coated strip 45 on the first primary panel, and its coated strip 47 into registry with the coated strip 44 on the auxiliary panel 34 as is shown in FIGURE 7. Pressure is then applied to bring about adhesion between the various components.

The unitary member shown in FIGURE 7 is then placed on the blank shown in FIGURE 1 so that the end partition tab 23 of the first primary panel 20 is in registry with the coated strip 15 on end wall panel 4 and the coated face of tertiary panel 32 of said first primary panel 20 is in registry with the coated portion 14 of side wall panel 1. The side Wall panel 2 is then folded along the common score line 50 (see FIGURE 1) connecting it with end wall panel 4 so that its coated area 13 will be in registry with the coated face of tertiary panel 32 of the second primary panel 21 and so that the coated side of its tab 11 faces uppermost.

Thereafter, the end wall panel 3 is folded along the common score line 51 (also see FIGURE 1) connecting it with side wall panel 1 so that its coated strip 16 will be in registry with the coated end tab 25 of the second primary panel 21 and so that its coated strip 12 will be in registry with the coated face of tab 11 on side wall panel 2. Pressure is then applied to bring about uniting of the unitary member with the wall structure and so as to form a knock-down carton.

When a knock-down carton is erected for filling purposes, due to the adhesion between the various components of the interior assembly of the carton and the wall structure, the end partition tabs 23, 25 bend, respectively, about their score lines 24, 26. Concurrently, the secondary panels 27 hinge about their score lines 29 and 33, and each secondary panel 28 hinges about its score lines 30, 29, due to the adhesion between the tertiary panels 32 and the adjacent side walls.

Thus, the first and second primary panels 20, 21 will be mutually opposed and adjacent to one another and will extend along the central longitudinal axis of the carton so as to form a pair of longitudinal partitions. On the other hand, the secondary panels 27, 28 will each extend at right angles between their associated primary panelsand the adjacent side wall ofthe carton so as to form a plurality of transverse partitions. Thus, the longitudinal and transverse partitions will define a plurality of articlereceiving compartments within the carton.

It will be noted that as the carton is erected from its knock-down condition, each secondary panel 28 swings outwardly from its associated panel so as to extend between the latter and the adjacent side wall. Concurrently, the extension 31 of each secondary panel 28 also swings outwardly so as to extend at right angles between the other primary panel and the adjacent side wall"- associated with the latter. H

As has been described above, the interior assembly also includes a handle member constituted by the pair of handle panels 36, 38.

When the carton has been erected, the bottom closure flaps are sealed in any known and convenient manner, the carton filled with the desired contents, and the top closure flaps folded over in any known and convenient manner.

When it is desired to carry the carton, the user inserts his fingers within the recessed portions 8 of the top side flaps 7 pushing downwardly on tabs 10, and grasps the upper edge of the handle member, formed by the two panels 36 and 38, pulling upwardly.

Referring now to FIGURE 8, this shows the handle member in its lowermost position and before it has been detached from the auxiliary panel 34. On the other hand, FIGURES 9 and 10 show the handle member in its fully extended, and hence detached, position.

Initial upward movement of the handle member, serves completely to sever the weakened score line 37 so that the handle member is detached from the auxiliary panel 34. The handle member will continue to move upwardly under the direction of the users hand, until the shoulders 41 abut the underside of the common upper edge, formed by score line 22, integrally connecting the pair of longitudinally partitions together. When this occurs, further upward or outward movement of the handle will be prevented. Thus, the handle member will be capable of movement between a first retracted position in which, when the top closure is in its closed operative position, said handle member lies beneath the top closure and a second operative position in which a portion thereof projects above the top closure for carrying purposes, the shoulders 41 of the handle member and the underside of the common upper edge of the pair of longitudinal partitions, forming a first set of cooperating parts to 1i: it the extent of movement of the handle member in one direction.

When the handle member is moved downwardly, the underedge of the main body portions 42 will contact the extensions 31 projecting from the transverse partitions 28 and thus, said extensions and said underedge forming a second set of cooperating parts on said handle member and transverse partitions to limit the extent of movement of the handle member in its other direction.

Thus, the handle member will be slidably disposed within said pair of longitudinal partitions, and the recesses 9 in the top side closure flaps, permit the handle member upward movement through the top closure fiaps when the latter are in closed operative position.

As has been previously stated, the invention is also applicable to open-topped carriers as well as to enclosed cartons. Thus, in the former case, the handle member will be capable of movement between a first retracted position, in which it lies within the wall structure, and a second operative position in which the hand-carrying portion thereof projects above the wall structure for carrying purposes.

I claim:

1. A carton of the type having a wall structure comprising side and end' Walls and a bottom, a' top closure,

and an interior assembly constituted by a unitary meme ber secured to thewall structure, saidmember including a pair of spaced mutually cooperating longitudinal partitions extending along the central longitudinal axis of the carton and connected together along acommon upper edge, each of said partitions being secured, at least at one end thereof, to an adjacent said end wall; aslot in said common upper edge; aplurality of transverse partitions integral, at one'end thereof, with and extending from, an associated one of said longitudinal partitions and: secured, at the other end thereof, to an adjacent side wall; said partitions defining; a plurality of article receiving compartments in saidcarton; an extensible handle member havinga lower edge, said handle member being integral with and detachably secured adjacent said lower edge, to one of said longitudinal partitions and slidably disposed within said pair of longitudinal partitions; said handle member having a portion thereof projecting from said slot and being movable between a first retracted position in which it lies within said wall structure, and a second operative position in which said portion thereof projects above said wall structure for carrying purposes, said handle member being adapted, upon initial movement towards its second operative position, of detachment from its said associated longitudinal partition; at least a pair of shoulders on the handle member adapted to cooperate with the underside of said common upper edge to limit the extent of movement of the handle member in one direction; the said one end of at least a pair of said transverse partitions having an extension projecting therefrom and normal to the said associated longitudinal partition, each of said extensions being located beneath said handle member and having an upper edge adapted to be contacted by the said lower edge of said handle member to limit the extent of movement of the handle member in the other direction.

2. A carton according to claim 1 including a top closure and wherein said handle member is movable between a first retracted position in which, when said top closure is in closed operative position, said portion lies beneath said top closure, and a second operative position in which said portion projects above said top closure for carrying purposes.

3. A one-piece blank adapted to form a unitary member constituting an interior assembly of mutually transverse partitions and an extensible handle member within a carton having a wall structure comprising side and end walls and a bottom; said blank being cut and scored to provide a pair of complementary primary panels integrally and hingedly connected together along a first common score line and adapted, on folding along the latter and erection of the carton, to form a pair of spaced mutually opposed longitudinal partitions each extending along the central longitudinal axis of the carton and secured, at least at one end thereof, to an adjacent and wall of the car-ton; each of said primary panels being cut and scored to provide a plurality of secondary panels each integrally and hingedly connected, at one end thereof, to their associated primary panel and adapted to be secured, at the other end thereof, to an adjacent side wall of the carton, said secondary panels, on erection of the carton, forming a plurality of transverse partitions; an auxiliary panel integrally and hingedly connected to a selected said primary panel along a second common score line and adapted, on folding along the latter, to be secured to the remaining said primary panel whereby, on erection of said carton, said pair of longitudinal partitions are integrally connected together by a common upper edge which includes said second common score line; a cut-out common to said selected primary panel and said auxiliary panel and adapted to form a slot in said common upper edge; at least one handle panel hingedly and detachably secured to said auxiliary panel along a common weakened score line and provided with a pair of projecting shoulders a r s said handle panel, on folding of said blank being located between said auxiliary panel and a selected one of said primary panels and having a portion thereof located within said slot; said handle panel being capable, on erection of the carton and initial upward movement, of being detached from said auxiliary panel and of movement within said slot from a first retracted position in which said handle panel lies within the wall structure and a second operative position in which said portion projects above said wall structure for carrying purposes, said detached handle panel having a lower edge; said shoulders cooperating with the underside of said common upper edge to form first means to limit the extent of movement of the handle panel in one direction; said blank being further cut and scored to provide at least one integral coplanar extension on the hinged edge of at least one of said secondary panels adapted, when the carton is erected and said handle panel detached from said auxiliary panel, to extend normal to the longitudinal partitions, said extension, upon said erection, having an upper edge located beneath said detached handle panel adapted to be contacted by said lower edge of said detached handle panel to limit the extent of movement of said handle panel in its other direction.

Toensmeier Sept. 2, 1952 Richardson July 5, 1960 

